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International Men's Day is observed annually on 19 November, marking the positive contributions that men make to their families, communities and the world.

This year’s theme focuses on positive role models and aims to raise awareness about the well-being of men and boys. Besides focusing on improving health and well-being, the day also encourages initiatives to support better gender relations, while recognising the contributions of men and boys to society.

Women in Football’s team of staff are united by a shared mission to challenge discrimination, share professional expertise and celebrate women’s achievement. While many are well-known to WIF’s members through our online networking events, seminars and courses, Marketing and Communications Officer Dan Taylor is more often hidden behind the scenes – until today!

Dan is a multi-talented WIF team member and wonderful male ally, often found working across a multitude of different projects. For International Men’s Day 2025, Dan agreed to become our first male subject in the Members in Focus series, sharing his career journey, role at WIF, his understanding of male allyship and – Players’ Tribune style – what advice he’d give to his younger self.

Dan’s introduction into the world of sport came through a work placement as part of his advertising and marketing communications degree at De Montfort University. In July 2018 he started a ‘loan spell’ with the marketing team at sports retailer Intersport. Based at their UK head offices in Solihull, he relished the quarterly trade shows they hosted which provided exposure to some of the world's biggest sporting brands.

Fast forward to early 2020 and it was dissertation season during Dan’s final year. In a turnaround that many former students will recognise, the earlier years of abundant free periods were replaced with a burgeoning workload involving ever-more frequent library visits. The glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel was a summer of celebration awaiting. Alas, those celebrations never happened.

The UK lockdown announced in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic meant Dan was forced to finish the remainder of his degree from home; not quite the big summer blowout he’d dreamed of. Instead, he jumped straight into applying for graduate roles, but with a bleak job market, opportunities were hard to come by.

 

New challenge

That September, the pandemic unexpectedly offered Dan a chance to manage the Covid-19 test centre at Waldegrave School in Twickenham, overseeing a safe return to school for the students. Among Dan’s tasks was to refresh the marketing materials and website content. Yet most unpredictably, he found himself also asked to step in as a cover teacher, due to staff shortages. 

“Having just left education myself, being back in the classroom teaching year 10 GCSE maths was definitely not on my bingo card,” Dan recalls. “I was just thankful I’d retained enough algebra knowledge to get by!”

After going ‘back to school’ for a year, it was time for a new challenge. A LinkedIn message from Dan’s former manager at Intersport, Michelle Dorgan, explained that there was a new position open at WIF. After applying and successfully passing the interview, Dan joined the marketing and communications team. Next month (December 2025) will mark his four-year anniversary at the organisation.

“Michelle is such an advocate for others, and I consider her to be one of my greatest allies in sport,” said Dan. “She gave me a leg-up into the industry and I'm eternally grateful for that. The adage is true; your network is your net worth. It also demonstrates how easy being an ally is. My journey into football is proof that a simple gesture can make a huge difference to someone's career.”

Dan’s support spans the full breadth of the organisation’s work, with no two days ever the same. Whether creating and managing web and social media content, using WIF’s customer relationship management (CRM) system to create personalised member communications, updating WIF’s professional development brochures and co-ordinating content crews at the annual Be Inspired Conference, variety is very much the spice of Dan’s work life.

 

Dan with WIF colleagues and members at Wembley for the final of the 2023 Finalissima between the Lionesses and Brazil

 

“Managing WIF’s gender equality campaign #GetOnside means I also work with individuals and organisations who have committed to improve the landscape for women and girls in football,” explains Dan. “Since the start of 2023, the campaign has welcomed pledges as diverse as complimentary event places for WIF members, money off scholarships, and free football equipment. With a monetary value exceeding £350,000 to date, I’m really proud to help facilitate these offers which make such a big difference to so many.”

As if this weren’t broad enough, Dan highlighted another area of which he is particularly proud: managing the Women in Football jobs webpage. “The relationships I have with football clubs and other sports organisations means the page is always loaded with great roles which helps our members to find new opportunities in the game. This ultimately helps to create a more diverse future for football, whilst also generating vital income for WIF as a not-for-profit.”

With International Men’s Day 2025 ‘encouraging initiatives to support better gender relations’, what’s Dan’s take on male allyship and who has supported his own career evolution?

“Male allyship for me is simple,” he says. “Be there for your female colleagues, be their biggest cheerleader, and be a supportive voice for them, especially when they aren't in the room.

“Our 2025 survey highlighted that 68% of respondents think male dominance is the biggest challenge for women in football. In such an industry, it can be hard for women to visualise a clear path into leadership positions. By celebrating your female colleagues' successes and backing their ideas, you will not only be supporting them to achieve more; you’ll also be setting an example for other male colleagues to follow.”

In an answer that speaks volumes for Dan’s character, when reflecting on his own mentors, he immediately turned the mirror back to his WIF colleagues.

“I don’t think most people quite understand the breadth of work the WIF team does as a collective,” says Dan knowingly. “While being so supportive of me in their day-to-day work, I’d like to recognise each and every one of them. What we create as a team of ten people, half of whom are part time, is an incredible testament to the team's abilities and work ethic.”

 

Pride

As a male member of the WIF team, there are certain parts of the year where the behaviour of industry peers can conjure up a mixture of emotions. WIF’s annual workforce survey this year highlighted that 78% of women had experienced gender-based discrimination in the industry. However, one of WIF’s internal mechanisms, in part developed in response to such findings, is a source of pride for Dan.

“Although we’re doing all we can to reduce this percentage, it’s reassuring to know that our members have a trusted process to follow. I wish that our members didn’t need it, but the fact that they have access to free legal support through Mishcon de Reya is something I think is incredible.

“In regard to our courses, although I’ve not attended a Leadership Programme, I’m heavily involved in branding the programme content, as well as promoting and celebrating the course and its alumnae. The testimonials we receive about the programme are so inspiring to read. Similarly, it's a pleasure to work with, and learn from, the programme facilitators who are experts in the industry. Following the progress of the women on our Train the Trainer programme over the past year to become new course tutors – including one of my own colleagues – has also been really heartening.”

 

"A greater range of voices, genders, ethnicities and lived experiences are going to combine to create a more welcoming, informed and understanding workplace. In my view, introducing more diversity to a team will only contribute to enhanced success"

 

Another headline statistic from WIF’s annual industry workforce survey is that 86% of women working in football believe women have to work harder than men to achieve the same recognition and benefits. And 69% of men agree with them. Why does Dan believe a more gender-diverse workplace is a better workplace?

“Why wouldn't it be?” Dan answers unequivocally. “A greater range of voices, genders, ethnicities and lived experiences are going to combine to create a more welcoming, informed and understanding workplace. In my view, introducing more diversity to a team will only contribute to enhanced success.”

As the youngest member of the WIF team, asking Dan to think about what advice he would give his younger self leads to a brief moment of levity!

“At school I was none the wiser to knowing what career path I wanted to take, and I spent a lot of time worrying about how things would turn out. I think I would tell my younger self to worry less. As long as you try your best and work hard, the world has a strange way of setting you on the right path.

“I’ve found that in the football industry specifically, your network is very important. Football is quite a small world, so it’s likely you’ll cross paths with your connections a few times over the course of your career. So I would say always try and leave a good impression, continue to build your network and work on your personal branding to set yourself up for success.”

Before we let Dan get back to work, we showed him ‘30 great quotes about men and women’ from the International Men’s Day website. Which resonated most, and why?

“The one that stood out most was from Dr John Gray: ‘Men are motivated and empowered when they feel needed. Women are motivated and empowered when they feel cherished.’ I’ve seen first-hand the difference that can be made when women are provided with proper support systems to succeed. Through WIF’s Leadership and Small Business Programmes, there is always a palpable shift in confidence in the individuals involved. 

“If you could bottle the feeling in the room after attending our annual Be Inspired Conference, you’d truly understand Dr Gray’s sentiment to be true. The camaraderie in the room is so energising and uplifting, with female peers openly sharing their personal, authentic experiences. It reminds me just how proud I am of what we do together.”

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